Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z Undergoes a Short Delay, ESRB Rates it Mature

January 22, 2014Written by Jason Dunning

You were originally supposed to get your hands on Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC next month in Europe on February 28th and then in North America on March 4th. Unfortunately, due to the team wanting more time to polish the game, it will now arrive on March 18th in North America and March 21st in Europe.

As you probably guessed when you first heard the title of the game, the ESRB has rated Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z as M for Mature for blood and gore, drug reference, intense violence, sexual themes, and strong language.

Here’s the rating summary:

This is an action game in which players assume the role of a cyborg ninja (Yaiba) as he battles zombies and searches for his rival, Ryu. Players use swords and bladed whips to kill dozens of zombies, ninjas, and boss creatures. Players can use zombie body parts as weapons (e.g., using a zombie stomach to spray bile/vomit at enemies) and dismember/decapitate them during the course of battle; large blood- splatter effects often occur.

The game includes some sexual material: one scene depicts a 3D silhouette of a woman straddling a man, with accompanying dialogue (e.g., “Let’s just say some parts of your anatomy didn’t need any enhancement.”). Drugs are occasionally mentioned in text (e.g., “…big-timers in the drug trade, coke especially.”). The words “f**k,” “sh*t,” and “a*shole” appear in dialogue.

Will you be buying Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z, or is your early 2014 already jam-packed enough as it is? Let us know in the comments below.